Wedding Ideas and Wedding Catering Ideas

Choosing a wedding photographer or a family portrait photographer can be a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be. Here we offer some valuable advice about what you should consider when making that choice.

Tip #1 Why can’t we all just get along!

All good photographers will try and capture the natural, real you in their images so it is important that you develop a natural affinity with your wedding or portrait photographer. You know fairly quickly on first impressions with people whether you are going to get along so go with your gut instinct – “am I going to have fun with this person?” is a question you should be asking yourself.

Tip #2 You get what you pay for

A truism very common in life and even more so in photography. Price should be ONE of the factors in your decision but not the over riding one. There are a lot of ‘amateur professional’s’ out there who will charge you next to nothing and deliver even less. Remember – you are stuck with the end results of your day so choose wisely.

Tip #3 But I want the deluxe package!

If you are on a budget you can always upgrade later – the key thing is to get the source images taken in the first place. Weddings are expensive things at the best of times so a good idea is to keep the end print & album quantities on the low side initially and then come back to the photographer when the wedding and honeymoon bills have been taken care of. I have often suggested this to clients who you can see are wrestling with the financial strain and the look of relief on their faces is often worth a picture in itself. A lot of people are unaware of this option. Be wary of any wedding photographer that tries to sell you into a package you cannot afford.

Tip #4 Plan Plan Plan…. then plan some more

Sitting down with your wedding or portrait photographer months before the event is an excellent idea as you will be surprised at what advice the seasoned professional can offer. Remember – these guys have been a major part of often hundreds of weddings and can give you invaluable tips on planning the day, timing various parts of the day and getting you more relaxed about the whole event. Forward planning also gives you time to work through those contingency plans that absolutely require forethought.

Tip #5 Think outside the box

We’ve all seen gazillions of pre-posed wedding photos that seem to simply document the day and record who turned up and what they were wearing, but you should be looking to capture those candid heartfelt moments where Dad slyly wipes a tear as his little girl gets given away, or the glance Grandma gives Grandpa as the vows take place and they move to hold hands remembering their special day all those years ago. Our desire as photographers is to capture your personality in the few hours we have with you so it is important to express yourself clearly to your photographer – tell them what you want and what your goals are.

In closing, I would say that it has been a real privilege to be part of so many couples special day, sure there is the stress of making sure you deliver given that you’ve only got one shot at it, but often taking that moment to reflect on why all the people are there in the first place is a humbling experience.

If you want to really stand out as an actor (and I think you do), you will have to make your resume stand out for you.

Your resume, cover letter, and headshot are really the first impressions you’ll ever make. They act as your agent–good ones get you auditions, bad ones don’t…

So, how does one go about standing out from the rest of the crowd? Well, first of all, you have to think like a marketer. What makes YOU interesting and unique as an actor? This is you USP (Unique Selling Point). Your resume and cover letter act as your USP…

In order to make your resume and cover letters really effective, you must follow a few simple guidelines:

For your resume, divide the page into two parts–one part for your actual resume, one part for testimonials (yes, testimonials!). Testimonials should be from former directors, playwrights, etc. and they shouldn’t be hard to get. Just ask! (but be sure to get their permission to use their testimonial on your resume) Include the name and position of the person underneath each testimonial quote.

If you are just starting out, include EVERYTHING acting-related on your resume–list every acting job you’ve ever had–no matter how small or big the part (yes, even the non-speaking parts!). Remember, you are trying to fill out your resume–list as much as you can. As time goes by, pick off the less glamorous acting parts and replace them with the true gems that highlight your best work.

Include a small thumbnail headshot of yourself on your resume. This will ensure that if your headshot and resume ever do get separated, your photo will be forever intact ON your resume.

Actors have little time to spend on marketing themselves–let alone anything else non-acting related. For this reason, you should have two form letters ready to go at all times–one for theater, one for film/television. Keep it short and sweet. Your letter should include a brief introduction, your purpose for writing in, your recent endeavors, and a friendly closing. For example, my cover letter states: I’m writing you today because I am very interested in auditioning for your play (or ‘film’ or ‘project’–depending on what you’re submitting for) . I know your time is valuable, so I’ll make this short: I would really appreciate it if you could take a moment to review my headshot and resume and let me know if you’d like to meet with me. Again, your letter should include your most recent or current work (try to include pictures within the body of the letter), what classes you’re taking, etc. Then wrap it up with something short and sweet like: Thank you for your time and consideration. I’d love to meet with you. I can be reached at XXX-XXX-XXXX. I hope to hear from you soon. And then, sign your name to it.

When sending a headshot and resume via email, use the same cover letter used in regular mailings–simply cut and paste it into the text portion of your email (remember, you’re trying to save time, so make it easy on yourself!). Don’t forget to attach your headshot–and make sure to size the headshot appropriately.

Headshots should look like how you look right now. If your headshot doesn’t look like how you look now, get a new one…

You don’t have to spend a big chunk of change on a reputable, big deal, bells-and-whistles photographer to get a nice headshot. Just look around and find someone who has a pretty good portfolio and low prices. I got my headshot done by a photographer who was just starting out. I got a great deal on my headshots and she used my images in her portfolio. A win-win situation!

Get an 8″ x 10″, black and white headshot (which is standard).

I recommend keeping it simple–your clothing, jewelry, etc. You want YOU (not your clothing and accouterments) to stand out.

That wraps up our section on resumes, cover letters, and headshots. I hope this section has inspired you to make your HS/resume kit brilliant!

Destination weddings have become increasingly popular in recent years. So many people are trying to find the perfect location to make their special day even more memorable, and New Zealand has become a popular choice. A well liked choice for many international travellers is Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. Planning a wedding in Auckland means that you will have access to every wedding related service imaginable from flowers, caterers, photographers to rental vehicles. No matter how extravagant or simple you plan your wedding in Auckland to be, you can be rest assured that anything is possible.

From beachfront hotels, luxurious ballrooms and banquet rooms to tropical island getaways, there is something for everyone in Auckland. Its amazing viaduct and numerous beaches and bays surrounding the city make it the perfect place if planning a beach or outdoor ceremony. If you are looking for something a little more private you are sure to fall in love with Waiheke Island. This tropical dreamland is only a short 30 minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland. Along with having all the conveniences of the city nearby, you will also have an unbeatable atmosphere and backdrop for celebrating your special day.

Planning the big day is not usually a straightforward task and can be even more difficult when you are from outside of the country. You can make the whole process flow more smoothly with the help of professionals. Begin by finding hotels or facilities that specialise in helping with weddings in Auckland. Working with a hotel or resort that can provide you with all the necessary skills and experience needed when hosting a wedding is much easier than working with a facility that doesn’t offer any professional assistance, especially when it comes to the planning and/or executing of the ceremony and reception. Also make sure that the establishment you are interested in can accommodate all of your guests so that people don’t have to travel back and forth between locations. It will make the entire day much easier and less stressful when people are already where they need to be for the event.

It is worth finding an establishment that specialises in weddings in Auckland. The have the experience and know-how to help make your day perfect. They often will take care of last minute details and little things like finding the cake and having it delivered, dealing with flower arrangements and delivery, and decorating the facilities that you are using. These services give you more time to focus on other elements, with less planning and preparation required before the event on your part. Remember to also ask for photographs of previous ceremonies, rooms, food arrangements and anything else you can think of. Make your destination wedding in Auckland, New Zealand an occasion to remember.

Before a wedding both the bride and groom and their families have to look after every big and small arrangements that are related to the wedding. Wedding photography is one of the most important aspects of the marriage. Everyone wants to remember their wedding so they shoot and record the beautiful moments of their wedding by hiring a professional wedding photographer. Now your wedding can be captured in different styles according to your taste, interest and personality.

From a traditional style to contemporary the couples can be captured in whichever style they want to be seen. But today a more unobtrusive and naturalistic style of wedding photography has emerged, which is called photo journalistic style of photography. It is the style which gives a sense of a documentary film, meaning you get a feeling of watching a short documentary film while looking at your wedding album. Your wedding album will be just like a storybook of your wedding depicted in pictures. It is the most naturalistic style of taking wedding photography devoid of any formal poses.

As is the case in traditional style where the wedding pictures are taken in formal poses or the contemporary style where the pictures are more edgy, glamorous and magazine types. Photo journalistic style is nothing like this; it is more natural and informal. No one has to stand in any deliberate poses and no one has to put on any extra makeup for the pictures. All the people and the ceremonies are captured as they are, nothing artificial is added not even studio lighting to add that desired effect. The moments are captured as they are in their original form making the end result beautiful.

You can actually relive your whole wedding ceremony as it happened systematically years after by just looking at the pictures in this style. The photo journalistic style is often called documentary, candid or reportage style. No words or caption is needed to describe the photos as the pictures depict every story clearly. Why couples choose the photo journalistic style because the photographers record all the emotion, fun and laughter present at the wedding without making their presence known. This is an added advantage for camera shy people. If you have someone like them in your friends or family then you can easily have their pictures without even making them conscious.

Usually this style of wedding photography requires a lot of honed talent to tell the story of the wedding. You just can’t snap thousand of pictures hoping of taking a few good snaps. A lot of thought goes into saying the story in its original form and not making it highly interpretative.

If you are working as a party planner, you will discover that wedding decorating could be one of the most demanding projects. For individuals who enjoy transforming drone events to memorable and enchanting ones, this is definitely the most promising way to express ingenuity and creativity with unique wedding ideas.

The ideas for wedding decoration would flourish best for themed weddings. When you are planning a theme wedding, you should focus more on executing the ideas for a unique wedding. Some of the popular themes for wedding include beach wedding, garden, seasonal weddings, wine-inspired weddings and Asian weddings. Needless to say, all the small and big details that would go into the planning must fit into the chosen theme for the bride and groom.

Apart from setting up the theme, it’s equally important to make a checklist for the supplies needed for the ceremony and reception. The following ideas for decoration will add a refreshing twist to an age-old ceremony. Use a monogram to personalize the aisle runner and select unusual colors. Pearlized gold offers a classic touch; shades of pink, yellow and pink highlights spring weddings and deep red will deepen romantic themes. Add a monogram to the unity candles to get a more personalized touch and embed solid-colored borders to the monograms to get a modern twist.

When it comes to couples who have a preference for extraordinary things, an ageless sand unity ceremony kit will provide the right deviation from tradition. With this kit, the couples are able to pour the sand from their individual vases into one vase that will symbolize the union, rather than lighting a candle. Add a monogram to the kit to get a more personalized, unique wedding decoration.

Ribbons can add the necessary detail to wedding vow scrolls and ceremony programs. The ribbons can be personalized by adding the first names of the happy couple and the date for the wedding. Encourage guest participation by supplying fresh or freeze-dried petals inside metallic paper cones, along with a customized text on the inside that could include the wedding date or a line from the vow. Environmentally-friendly confetti inside acrylic cones as well as lavender wedding rice may be used instead of the petals.

Remember to put a signature frame in the welcome areas so that guest can sign, plus the table runners could be enhanced with a signature monogram. For the reception, wedding bubbles left in mini champagne bottles or tubes on the tables will be wonderful and unique wedding ideas for decoration as this encourages guests to participate in welcoming the couple. Wedding sparklers on personalized napkins could be used instead of the bubbles.

Are you looking for a wedding venue in New Zealand? Many couples are planning beach weddings today as their means of tying the knot; therefore New Zealand with its massive stretch of coastlines is a rather attractive option to couples both from overseas and New Zealand. If you have a picture in your head of golden sands, warm temperatures and tropical beaches then you need to consider celebrating your special day on Waiheke Island. This fantastic island is 30 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland, which is New Zealand’s largest city. You can also access this beautiful and private oasis via air too.

Home to 8,000 permanent residents, Waiheke is certainly equipped for making your stay enjoyable. You can enjoy reading the local Gulf News at one of the many tasty cafes, or take your wedding party to a movie at the cinema or on a winery tour visiting some of the award winning vineyards. It is worth noting that during the summer months the population on this fabulous paradise expands to around 50,000 people, many of whom will also be getting married or attending a wedding. Hence it is vitally important that you book well in advance if you decide to exchange vows at a wedding venue in Waiheke, New Zealand.

Everything you need to tie the knot can be found at a wedding venue in Waiheke, New Zealand. Typical services such as bridal cars, cakes, catering services, celebrants, florists, beauticians, hair dressers, photographers and event planners can be found. Many of these services are provided as part of wedding packages or services from hotel resorts so it is worthwhile doing some research on the various offerings available. Look for a hotel resort that offers a specific beachfront wedding venue with reception services to follow the ceremony.

An additional bonus of picking a Waiheke hotel resort as your wedding venue in New Zealand is that all your guests can stay in the same place. It can make for a great weekend having all your family and friends in the same place leading up to the big day. Many couples arrange to stay a few days after the big day – making it their honeymoon as well, which can save you a lot of money (we all know how expensive these events can be) without missing out on that special time enjoyed together.